TNAG-2178-FCO40-3115-Hong-Kong-nationality-international-support-1990 — Page 154

CONFIDENTIAL

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042401

MDLIAN 2398

TO PRIORITY FCO

CONFIDENTIAL

FM KUALA LUMPUR

TELNO 39

OF 23011OZ JANUARY 90

then 340/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

24FEB 1990

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

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fo

Nat - International

ruffet.

Ru2311

INFO PRIORITY OTHER ASEAN POSTS, HANOI, WASHINGTON, UKMIS NEW YORK INFO PRIORITY PARIS, CANBERRA, MOSCOW, PEKING

INFO PRIORITY HONG KONG

FROM PS/LORD BRABAZON

CALL BY LORD BRABAZON ON THE THAI FOREIGN MINISTER SUMMARY

1. ON CAMBODIA SIDDHI ENCOURAGED BY PARIS MEETING OF THE FIVE. NEXT STEP FOR REGIONAL PLAYERS AN INFORMAL EXTENDED JIM-STYLE MEETING IN LATE FEBRUARY. NO THAI PROMISES ON MEASURES TO BOOST CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG. REPEATED INDICATIONS OF THAI WISH TO FOLLOW OUR LEAD ON BOAT PEOPLE. PRISONER REPATRIATION AGREEMENT SIGNED.

DETAIL

2. LORD BRABAZON HAD 30 MINUTES WITH ACM SIDDHI SAVETSILA ON 22 JANUARY, FOLLOWED BY A BRIEF CEREMONY TO MARK THE SIGNING OF THE PRISONER REPATRIATION AGREEMENT. HE WAS ALSO GIVEN A POLITICAL/MILITARY BRIEFING ON THE SITUATION IN CAMBODIA. HMA BANGKOK AND GUY (SEAD) WERE PRESENT.

CAMBODIA

3.

LORD BRABAZON SAID THAT HIS VISIT TO SITE 2 CAMP FOR DISPLACED KHMERS HAD MADE HIM ALL THE MORE CONVINCED OF THE URGENT NEED FOR A COMPREHENSIVE POLITICAL SETTLEMENT OF THE CAMBODIAN CONFLICT, IN ORDER THAT THOSE PEOPLE WOULD RETURN HOME. THE RECENT MEETING OF THE FIVE IN PARIS HAD BEEN ENCOURAGING. SIDDHI AGREED. DESPITE THE CONTINUING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE CGDK AND HUN SEN/VIETNAMESE ON WHAT MODEL SHOULD BE USED FOR THE TRANSITIONAL ADMINISTRATION, INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER ALATAS HAD BEEN SUFFICIENTLY ENCOURAGED TO CALL A NEW INFORMAL JIM-STYLE MEETING. PROVISIONAL DATES WERE 22/24 OR 26/28 FEBRUARY. FRANCE AND AUSTRALIA WOULD ALSO BE INVITED. LORD BRABAZON SAID THAT A KEY ELEMENT NOW WAS CHINA'S ATTITUDE TO THE KHMER ROUGE. SIDDHI ACKNOWLEDGED THE WEST'S GREAT CONCERN ABOUT POL POT AND THAT HIS RETURN TO POWER COULD NOT BE ALLOWED. BUT TO EXCLUDE THE KR ALTOGETHER WOULD LEAD TO MORE FIGHTING. ALTHOUGH THE KR COULD MAKE FURTHER GAINS, AND MIGHT EVEN TAKE ONE LARGE TOWN SUCH AS BATTAMBANG, THEY COULD NOT ACTUALLY WIN THE WAR. LORD BRABAZON REFERRED TO CHINESE ARMS SUPPLIES TO THE KR, SOME OF WHICH PASSED THROUGH THAILAND. SIDDHI COUNTERED WITH CONTINUING RUSSIAN SUPPLIES TO THE PRK. IF CHINA COULD REACH AGREEMENT WITH THE US AND THE

4.

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